Task Force Begins Crackdown and Management by Agency
Strict Measures and Restoration Orders for Non-Compliance
Incentives for Local Governments: Awards and Financial Support
Yoon Hojung Pledges Management, Citing Lee Jaemyung's Achievements
The government is launching a large-scale crackdown on illegal facilities in river and valley areas. The maintenance of illegal installations in rivers and valleys is regarded as one of President Lee Jaemyung's representative achievements during his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province. The government plans to use this as a model case and pursue meticulous management.
According to government ministries on July 30, the government formed the "Task Force (TF) for Measures Against Illegal Occupancy Facilities in River Areas," led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, earlier this month. Each agency has begun inspections and management according to their respective areas of responsibility.
On the morning of July 30, Prime Minister Kim Minseok reviewed the status and measures regarding illegal occupancy facilities at a Cabinet meeting on current national issues. He urged, "Relevant ministries and local governments should thoroughly ensure that clean valleys are promptly returned to the public." This was based on concerns that illegal occupancy facilities not only cause public inconvenience but also pose significant safety risks, such as obstructing river flow during heavy rainfall.
Proactively, a government-level task force has already been established. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is in charge of overall coordination and operation, the Ministry of Environment is responsible for national and local rivers, and the Korea Forest Service oversees forests and valleys. Local governments are tasked with conducting surveys on illegal facilities, encouraging voluntary removal, and handling administrative actions such as reporting and compulsory execution.
The government has conducted two nationwide surveys, identifying a total of 645 illegal occupancy facilities. These included 266 cases (41.2%) in local rivers, 215 cases (33.3%) in national rivers, 155 cases (24%) in small rivers, 100 cases (15.5%) involving benches and shade canopies, 97 cases (15%) of unauthorized farming, and 71 cases (11%) of unauthorized commercial activities.
The government intends to actively persuade violators to voluntarily remove illegal occupancy facilities, but will take strict action in accordance with the relevant laws if they do not comply. In unavoidable cases, restoration to the original state will be enforced through compulsory administrative execution. Unauthorized occupation of rivers, unauthorized alteration of land in forests or development-restricted areas, and illegal restaurant operations are subject to compensation charges under individual laws. Fines for charging fees for shade canopies or benches can be imposed under the "Minor Offenses Act."
Incentives have also been offered to encourage proactive administration by local governments. The government will regularly review implementation performance and provide incentives such as awards and financial support to outstanding local governments. Successful cases will be actively identified and shared.
Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, also mentioned, "Since 2019, Gyeonggi Province has boldly addressed illegal occupancy facilities in rivers and valleys." Maintenance of illegal valley facilities is a project through which President Lee became known as an administrator. When President Lee took office as Governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2018, he pledged to "return clean valleys to the residents" and began the maintenance project for illegal facilities in rivers and valleys in June 2019. Gyeonggi Province announced that one year later, it had identified 1,482 illegal facilities in rivers and valleys and removed 94% of them.
However, there is still controversy over whether Gyeonggi Province was indeed the first in the nation to implement a project to remove illegal facilities from rivers and valleys during President Lee's tenure as governor. In 2021, Cho Gwanghan, then Mayor of Namyangju, criticized President Lee's river and valley maintenance project, stating, "I cannot agree with Gyeonggi Province's practice of claiming our city's achievements as those of the governor. They may argue that Gyeonggi Province was first simply because Namyangju is within Gyeonggi Province, but this cannot be considered Governor Lee's accomplishment. To anyone with common sense, this is nothing but a poor play on words."
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